The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News.
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Ukraine first lady says abduction of children by Russia is genocide
KYIV - Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska said the abduction of around 19,500 children by Russia constitutes "an act of genocide" under international law, as she called for other countries to more strongly support efforts to ensure their return.
"This is the wiping out of identity, the wiping out of cultural code and memory. They become Russian children. This is exactly what (Russians) want to do," Zelenska said Monday in a sit down with Kyodo News and other Asian media outlets at the presidential office in Kyiv.
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Football: J2 Kofu draw with Melbourne, Urawa grab late win over Wuhan
TOKYO - J-League second-division side Ventforet Kofu claimed a vital point in the Asian Champions League group stage Wednesday in a 3-3 home draw with Australia's Melbourne City while reigning champions Urawa Reds grabbed a late 2-1 win over China's Wuhan Three Towns.
Kofu, last season's Emperor's Cup winners, had substitute forward Jumma Miyazaki's 85th-minute equalizer to thank at Tokyo's National Stadium as they moved up to eight points, alongside Melbourne, with a chance to progress to the knockout phase ahead of their last Group H game.
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Japan PM to meet Israeli president possibly on Dec. 1 amid Gaza war
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is arranging to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog as early as Friday on the sidelines of a U.N. conference on climate change amid the Middle Eastern nation's war with Hamas, government sources said.
If realized, it would be the first time for the Japanese prime minister to hold talks with an Israeli political leader since Israel was attacked by the Palestinian militant group on Oct. 7, triggering a large-scale conflict, the sources said Wednesday.
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Japan space agency server likely hit by unauthorized access attack
TOKYO - Japan's space agency was likely hit by an unauthorized access attack to a network server, the government said Wednesday, adding the incident did not involve sensitive information pertaining to rockets or satellites.
Sources close to the matter said the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency was not aware that the breach may have occurred sometime during the summer until they were contacted by police this fall.
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Japan enacts 13 tril. yen FY 2023 extra budget for inflation relief
TOKYO - Japan's parliament on Wednesday enacted a 13.20 trillion yen ($90 billion) extra budget for the current business year through next March to fund steps to soften the blow of rising prices and aid the economy.
The funds are needed to provide 70,000 yen to low-income households hurt by the cost-of-living crisis, retain subsidies to lower fuel costs until next spring and make the nation more competitive through increased investment in key areas like semiconductors, artificial intelligence and space.
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U.S. Osprey crashes off southwestern Japan island, 1 confirmed dead
KAGOSHIMA, Japan - A U.S. military Osprey aircraft crashed in waters off Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan, with one man found near the accident site confirmed dead, the Japan Coast Guard said Wednesday.
The CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft, which was assigned to the Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo and used by the U.S. Air Force, disappeared from radar at around 2:40 p.m. carrying eight people, according to the Japanese Defense Ministry.
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Tokyo to call governor race July 7 with incumbent Koike in focus
TOKYO - Tokyo will hold its gubernatorial race on July 7, 2024, the capital's election commission said Wednesday, with a focus on whether the incumbent, Yuriko Koike, will seek her third term.
The Tokyo gubernatorial race would be one of the biggest political events in Japan in 2024 unless Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, dissolves the House of Representatives for a snap election next year.
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Toyota logs record Oct. output, sales despite production halt
NAGOYA - Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday its global output and sales hit record highs for October on robust demand in North America and Europe, despite a temporary production halt in Japan due to an explosion at a parts supplier's factory.
The automaker made 900,285 cars worldwide in the month, up 16.7 percent from a year earlier, and sold 890,241 vehicles globally, up 7.0 percent, the company said.
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Video: "Hina" dolls modeled after newmakers of 2023
